01/11/05

Save the children

This article reviews the direction and progress of malaria vaccine research. In particular, it describes the different points of the malaria parasite's life cycle at which various vaccines are targeted, and their likely benefits to different groups of people. Above all, the author emphasises the need for vaccines to protect those the disease affects most — children younger than five years. Part of Nature's 2004 malaria supplement, the article is aimed at a scientifically literate readership.